Expansible house trailer



Feb. 16, 1965 H. L. JARMAN EXPANSIBLE HOUSE TRAILER 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 50, 1960 .M m 0 m a W WW m K & M

Feb. 16, 1965 Filed Dec. 30, 1960 H. JARMAN 3,169,280

EXPANSIBLE HOUSE TRAILER 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Wis/25 ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,169,289 EXPANSELE HtlUSQ TRAELER Harry Lee Jarman, Anaheim, Calif. (12121 Adrian St., Apt. A, Garden Grove, Calif), assignor of one-tlnrd to Vioden N. Qardner, Fullerton, (Calif.

Qec. Bil, 19 59, er. No. 7?,677

3 Qlaims. (Cl. Ell-2) This invention has to do with expansible house trailers embodying a movable room section which is telescoped within the main portion of the trailer and upon the floor thereof for transit but which can be fully extended, supported and then lowered to floor leveling condition to thereby provide more usable living and floor area when the trailer is parked for living.

An object of the invention is to provide a house trailer structure having telescoping sections with novel means for supporting a movable telescoping section in extended position and as it is moved to and from extended position.

Another object is to provide a novel house trailer construction which permits a movable telescoping section to travel into and over the floor of the main section of the trailer together with novel means for stopping and supporting the movable section exteriorly of the main section including means for slidably guiding and lowering the movable section after it has been fully extended for the purpose of then lowering its floor to the same level as the floor of the main section and flush therewith, the same means serving for raising the movable section to return it to an elevation where it can be rolled into the main section of the trailer and on the floor thereof.

A further object is to provide novel track means which can be detachably mounted and secured embodying novel means for vertically expanding and contracting the same.

A still further object is to provide constructions of the type indicated above which are easy to operate and make it possible for a single person to readily expand or contract the trailer.

Still another object is to provide a novel means for effecting a weather seal between the'sections of the trailer whether the movable section is in extended or retracted position.

These and other objects will be apparent from the drawings wherein a preferred embodiment of the invention is shown and the following description. Referring to the drawings:

ice

FIG. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view on line 77 of FIG. 2, and

FIG. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view on line 3-45 of FIG. 2.

The invention will be particularly shown and described with reference to a house trailer, however, the construction is suitable for other structures wherever a relatively large framework or section is telescopically related to another section. Numeral 11 generally designates a house trailer embodying a main or stationary enclosed body section 12 and a relatively movable or telescoping extension body room section 14 which is shown fully in FIG. 1 in extended and engaged position, it being movable through an opening 15 in the side wall 16 of the main section of the trailer until its two vertically disposed and outwardly extending stop flanges which are suitably secured to the inner side edges of the telescoping room engage and stop against the walls 16 of the main body, whereby said stop flanges will thereafter slide on the wall portions in at opposite sides of the opening 15 as will be later understood.

When the trailer is set up for living, an extension room section receiving, positioning and supporting member in the form of a removable track means, designated generally 13, is attached to the side of the main section of the trailer and below the opening 15 in the side wall 16 thereof so that the telescoping roorn section 14 may be run out on the track. As will later appear, the track means is vertically contractible and expansible, so that after the telescoping section has been run out to fully extended position, the track means may be lowered or contracted in the plane of the above opening 15 to lower the telescoping section and bring the floor level thereof even with the planar floor level of the main section of the trailer which planar'fioor extends inwardly from said opening 15 at right angles to the plane of said opening. Inside the main section of the trailer, the telescoping ection travels and rests upon runners 21, 22 and 23 which are placed on the floor 24- in the main trailer section. The central runner 22 accommodates or provides a path for a central roller 25 mounted beneath the floor structure 26 01 the telescoping section adjacent its inner edge.

Runners 2i and 23 accommodate and provide a path over thefloor for rollers 27 provided in the lower composite structural wall 26 of the telescoping section. Preferably,

, runner 23 is provided with a channel 28 to serve as a FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a house trailer having and 3;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary sectional plan view showing the weather seal between the side walls of the main and telescoping section;

guide in maintaining rollers 27 upon the two runners 21, 23 and roller 25 upon runner 22. V The track means 13, whim is-detachably secured to brackets 3%! provided on the main section of the trailer below the opening 15 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, is shown as comprising two track sections, each designated generally by numeral 32. One or more additional sections may be provided if the size and weight of the telescopingsection warrants it. Each track sectionincludes a lower base rail 3% comprised of a pair of angle sections 35 and 36 with spacer blocks 37 therebetween, the parts being welded or otherwise secured together. This base rail is provided with an attaching flange 38 at its inner end which carries one or more studs 39 for attachment to the bracket 3%. The outer end of the base rail is mounted upon a pair of bolts 41 which are supported 7 direction serves to lower it.

' support for the rails, I V

3 V 7 upon a concrete base 40 or other suitable support. Nuts 42. allow for vertical adjustment. Vertica'llytabove the base rail is a track rail, designated 44, which is constructed similarly to the base rail except that it is inverted and additionally is provided with a channel member 45 on its upper surface to form a track for the rollers 27 of the-telescoping section. The track rail is also provided with a vertical depending guide rod 47' which is received in a guide opening 48 defined by the .angle members 35 and 36 of the base rail and by spacer blocks 37 p The base and track rails are connected by a' lever system in the nature of a jack means. This includes a i t rod Strand lever systems 51A and 113; The system 51A comprises twolevers 52 and 53 pivotally mounted at each side of the track rail upon pin 54 as well as two levers 56 and 57 pivotally mounted on each side of weather-stripping 80, 81, seals the opening across the top of the telescoping section.

base rail upon a pin 58. The levers 52 and 56 are pivotally mounted upon a collar 69 which is rotatable relative to rod 50' but held against aXial movement with respect thereto by collars 61 which are welded or otherwise'fixed to the rod. Levers 53 and 57 are pivotally connected to a threaded collar 62 which receives a threaded portion -t of rod 5t Thus, with the construction I described, rotation of the rod-59 in one direction serves to raise track rail M-while rotatio'nin the opposite The rod is shown with a cross pin 65 near its outer end for the attachment'of a crank (not shown). .t i I V a The lever system 5113 may consist merely. of two sets of levers 52 and'56 pivotaliy mounted ,ona collar so such as previously described without levers 53 and 57 threaded collar '62, orthe system to system 51A.

Preferably, the track sections are braced jtie bars' 66rand diagonal bracing bars 67, p V

In the operation, assumingthe telescoping section 14 toberetracted inside thesection' 16 of the trailer, the

trackrne'ans 18 is attached and elevated to bring the track rail level .withrthe' runners 21,22 and 230a the floor 24 of the main sectionofthe trailer; The telescoping section l tis then run out to fully extended position where the floor 26 thereof is still maintained level and" parallel with the planar floor 24 of the maintrailer body section 12 as shownin FIGS; 3 and 4 ontothe trackv means and this may be done manually. or by means of 513 may be: identical Along each sidewall of the telescoping section I provide a pair or V-shape weatherstrips 84A and 84B, one of which is located near the outer wall $5 of the section andtne other near the innermost portion of the side wall. in conjunction with these, I provide a removable Weatherstrip 36 upon the trailer "main section which can be placed as shown in PEG. 6, when the telescoping secion is extended and which may be removed and similarly associated, upon replacement, with the outer strip 84A when the telescoping section is retracted. An inner Weatherstrip 87 is fixed in place behind member 86.

While I have shown a particular type of lever jack means incorporated in the track sections, I contemplated that screw jacks or other types of mechanical jacks might tion of mechanical, fluid or electrical means. 20

I claim: I

1. In an expansible house trailer, a main section having a floor, upright walls and a ceiling roof and having an opening inone upright wall extending upwardly from the door, a telescoping room section having a floor, up-' right walls and a ceiling roof, said telescoping room section being received within said maintrailer section and resting upon the floor ,thereofwith the floor-70f the telescoping roorni section elevated above the floor of the main section, track means for supporting said telescoping room section in an extended position such that its floor is level with andforms a pianar continuation of the :tloor oi the main section and for also supporting the rodrnsection during movement thereof to and from said position, said track means comprising at least a pair of laterally spaced base rails detachably secured to said mainsection beneath said opening andextending out wardlyof saidjrnain section and for a substantial dis tanoc, means supporting said haw rails at their outer end'portions on the ground, lateral bracemeans connect a'winch (not shown), In this/fully extended and sup- 1 ported position of .theroom section 14 the vertical stop flangesBZ and at each rear side of saidroon section are brought into vertical slidablel' engagement with the inner sides of the opening 15, as designated at 16 in FIGS. 2 and 6. 'After thetelescoping section has been, 7

. fully extended; the track rails are lowered-from the position of FIG. 4 tofthatcf FIG. 3 so as to'lower the telescoping section of the trailer to floorlevel'alignment with the'main section of the trailer. When theftelescop i ing section is thus lowered, it is retained in outer posi tion by the engagement of the inner edge 'Ttiof the floor structure with the sloping adjacent andjoining outer marginaledge 71of the main section of the trailer; Also.

In: order to provide a provide a firm irig said base rails; a track rail spaced above each base rail, and means engageable with and mounted between 7 said base and track rails for supporting and "for bodily raising and: lowering said track rails relative to the main section to vertically move the room ported on the track rail;

2 ln'an expmsible" house'trailer, a section having a'fioor, upright walls and a ceiling roof andhaving anopening in .oneupright wallextending upwardly from the hoof, a' telescoping room section having a fi oor,;up 7 right wallsiand aceiling 'roof, said telescoping room y'section being received within said main trailer section [and.restihupoh'th floor thereofwith thefioor of the telescopingl'roornsection. elevated above the floor of the 1 L main section,'track means for supporting said telescoping room sectionin anextended position such'that its floor is level withand forms a planar continuation of the 'iioorof the main section and foralso supporting the room section: during movement thereof to and from said positiong t rack; means comprisingat least a pair oflateralthe inner endsof the track rails rest in notches '73 at i. the side .of the main trailer section which extended; I provide ahinged' plate 74 which is raised to the position of PEG. 31fromthatofFIG. 4 to overlap a 7 depending edge a strip 75 or the roof 76 of the inain section-of theqtrailer. Plate 74 includes a portion '77 which 'fits between overheadstrip-"75 and: an inclined strip 78 on'the toip of the roof '79 of the telescoping J section. Weatherstrip 8t), '81 of sheetrmetal or the like 'is provided on theout'er surface. fwhen the telescoping tsectionis retracted'inside-the niain section of the trailer; theplate'M is turned down-asshown PIGQ4 and -the 7 'ly spaced-base rails detachably secu'redto said main section beneath said opening and "extending outwardly of- I 'said' main section andv for a' substantial distanceg-me'ans 'Tsupporting saidbase rails at thei'router end portions on "the ground, lateral brace means' connectingi'said baserailsga track rail spaced above each base raiL-rneans t engageable with'and'mounte'd betweeircsaidbase and track, rails for supportin'g' and "for bodily raising and? 'lowering said track rails relative to the main section-to vertically .rnov e the room sectionj when' supported ori the ,track rail, and guide means carried by: said main section and en ageableby; theinn'eriend portion of said track -rails' for maintaining base ailsk;

,l ;3. An expansible house trailer comprisinga main sec 7 tion having a floor andi atleast one upright wall having section when sup 'said track rails in alignment 'abovef U an opening therein extending upwardly from the floor, a telescoping room section having a floor mounted on Wheels on said main section floor for parallel supporting relationship therebetween, track rail means on the floor of the main section for supporting and guiding engagement with said room section, ttaek rail extension means mounted adjacent the track rail means of the main section to form a coplanar continuation thereof whereby to support the room section as it is moved from the tele scoped position in the main section through the opening in said wall to an extended parallel position on the outer side thereof, and means for lowering the track rail extension means to bring the room section floor coplanar With the main section floor.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Hotaling 254122 X Brown 254122 Berg 254-122 La Fleur 20-2 Berg 254122 X Leitnerv Rice 202 Bohlen 20--2 X FAOQB L. NACKENOFF, Primary Examiner.

WILLIAM I. MUSHAKE, Examiner. 

3. AN EXPANSIBLE HOUSE TRAILER COMPRISING A MAIN SECTION HAVING A FLOOR AT LEAST ONE UPRIGHT WALL HAVING AN OPENING THEREIN EXTENDING UPWARDLY FROM THE FLOOR, A TELESCOPING ROOM SECTION HAVING A FLOOR MOUNTED ON WHEELS ON SAID MAIN SECTION FLOOR FOR PARALLEL SUPPORTING RELATIONSHIP THEREBETWEEN, TRACK RAIL MEANS ON THE FLOOR OF THE MAIN SECTION FOR SUPPORTING AND GUIDING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID ROOM SECTION, TRACK RAIL EXTENSION MEANS MOUNTED ADJACENT THE TRACK RAIL MEANS ON THE MAIN SECTION TO FORM A COPLANAR CONTINUATION THEREOF WHEREBY TO SUPPORT THE ROOM SECTION AS IT IS MOVED FROM THE TELESCOPED POSITION IN THE MAIN SECTION THROUGH THE OPENING IN SAID WALL TO AN EXTENDED PARALLEL POSITION ON THE OUTER SIDE THEREOF, AND MEANS FOR LOWERING THE TRACK RAIL EXTENSION MEANS TO BRING THE ROOM SECTION FLOOR COPLANAR WITH THE MAIN SECTION FLOOR. 